


Infinity beats forever.

by RedBirdBella



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, angsty angst, lots of flashbacks, tags will be updated as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 17:32:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18124343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedBirdBella/pseuds/RedBirdBella
Summary: I decided to redo my work "Trailer Ficlet" to make it more in depth.The story of how Natasha and Clint came to be reunited from the farm to the infamous umbrella scene.





	Infinity beats forever.

It wasn't much, but then being an internationally wanted criminal wasn't the best way to provide for your family. Luckily it was what she wanted, Clint thought as he set up the archery equipment. 

"Alright, Lila. It's all ready. Lila?! Get down from there! You’re getting too big for me to rescue now!" Clint calls out looking to his daughter watching him from a nearby tree. 

"I see better from a distance" 

"You’ll see better from your room if you don't get down" 

He hears her laugh "You wouldn't! Not on my birthday!" 

"Agents always listen to instructions!" 

"You didn't" 

Clint bites back a smile. "Good Agents always listen to instructions" 

Lila nods considering the statement with her usual grin and clambers down out of the tree.

......  
“Nat, we need you here. Trying to work out how to fix this-“

“I’m tired of sitting around. Two weeks. That’s all I’m asking”

“And I’m not giving it to you. You're staying here. That’s an order.”

“Order?! You think there’s any order left in this world Steve!”

There’s a sigh a glimmer of hope “You have your orders, but I don’t have resources to waste stopping you”

“Good,” Natasha says with a curt nod turning on her heel.  
....

"Look at the state of you! Your mother won't be happy. Come here" Clint says with a sigh as he brushes the dried moss and dirt from her trousers and finding a tiny tear over the knee. He sighs "You had to go and take after me didn't you?! Couldn't have been born with your mom's common sense, now could you?!"

She giggles, instantly forgiven "Sounds boring"

"You need a little bit of Boring Miss!" He says with a smile before watching her turn running towards the equipment her bow laying against a nearby tree "And where do you think you're going?! I'm not having a repeat of last time, come here. We need to put your hair up and out of your face, you can't be Hawkeye if you can't see" 

"I don't wanna be Hawkeye" 

"Way to crush your old man's dreams kid," Clint whispers pulling a hairband out of his back pocket. He's gentle carding through her hair respecting the parting on the crown of her head to pull half of her hair into a ponytail, "There you're ready to go now Agent" 

......

It’s a short walk back to her room. The door won't slam like she wants, denying her the satisfaction of the slap echoing down the hallway. She throws a few items into a bag. This cant work. This won't work. 

The bag goes next, tossed against her dresser. 

Calm down Natasha. It’s just one deep breath after another, but still her hands won't stop shaking. The rage was unrelenting now, hadn’t she earnt a lifetime away from being squashed down by something bigger. The Red Room, HYDRA, Ultron, Thanos. She’d settle for 24 hours now.

She catches her eye in the mirror and sighs. Digging through her bag she finds a brush, she pulls at the knots in her blonde hair enjoying the feeling of something hard and sharp against her scalp. 

Bruce was back now but apparently with the same amnesia Bucky had. Typical. Stevie had gone back to self-righteous sulking, Tony was off the grid and Clint was retired at the farm. 

The Farm. Natasha reeled at the new realisation launching her hairbrush at the mirror with a strangled scream. It cracks, splintering her image. Good. 

After all they’d done to keep them safe. SHIELD, Laura, Clint, herself could it all be undone with the snap of a person’s fingers. 

She shakes the brush free of mirror fragments, tears falling in earnest now. 

She brushes through the rest of her hair, humming something soft and sappy. Clutching to its promise of a happy ever after she’d never admit to believing in. She pulls her hair tight again plaiting quickly and precisely. The cut might have helped, but her hair was still an annoyance. 

Procrastination. The word rang out in her head. Just see if he’s called. 

She’s singing now. Wasn’t that what living was about singing like nobodies listening. Well there damn well wasn’t anyone around to listen now. 

“It’s enough for this restless warrior just to be with you” 

Clint had sung it to Laura, Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel- and maybe he had glanced at Natasha when he sang it if it got stuck in his head on a mission, it wasn’t as if he meant it. 

She finished the second plait quickly. Composes herself in the shattered mirror. Collects her gun and goes.

....   
He watches her run to the bow picking it up and drawing it, fortunately, he'd kept the arrows with him. Lila had a confidence in her abilities that Clint didn't yet share.

"It should have more power than your last one, that's why the string is harder to pull. It's bigger too, you'll have to adjust your stance." He’s in his element here, he'd delighted in her new interest in archery since his time in the raft. But even that didn’t stop something unwanted nagging deep within him as he spoke. Guilt. If only he could simply put it down to the new movies with the dark-haired bow-wielding heroine like Laura did. But he couldn't shake the feeling that her motive was somewhat darker. Had she been trying to protect the family in his absence? She'd inherited the fight rather than flight instinct her brothers showed. Clever boys. Not following the Barton’s family tradition of punching above your weight. 

He gestures to her indicating how she should adjust to the new bow, feet first, back, then finally her head, "Perfect, I think you've inherited a knack for it. you should thank me" He teases, reaching back for an arrow. He laughs at Lila’s protests, warm and genuine, showing the new arrow and talking her through it. 

"It's probably the ballet," He thinks aloud, hands gentle as he adjusts her neck arrow now in place, "How you know how to hold yourself”. 

He'd seen it before, a long time ago. 

Ballet had been her first love, in her younger days, and Clint had indulged her. Booking classes, getting the music, the delicate outfits, now stuffed at the back of his wardrobe. Watching his girls dance together had been the most beautiful Clint had ever seen. Even if Laura had been heavily pregnant with Nathaniel during the grand performance Lila had insisted on. She'd been nervous dressed in that year's presents, with black professional grade ballet slippers gifted from her aunt. Her skinned knees from an earlier fall showed through the pale tights, but still, she’d persisted teetering on tiptoes with her hands firmly in Natasha’s. She’d glanced between them both eyes glowing with nervous energy. 

She wasn’t nervous now focusing in on her target, "Hold on a sec hot shot, let me get out of the way first" She nods obediently waiting until he was at a safe distance to lose the first arrow. It went low tearing a trail into the grass. 

"Good try. Keep your head up and back straight when you fire. That's it, you have to absorb the force of it releasing or you'll end ups shooting where your body moves" He picks the arrow from the grass removing the mud from the tip in a smooth move, "Think you can hit a bullseye?" 

She grins taking the arrow from his hand, "Oh roll up, roll up and watch the show. Here she goes, the worlds greatest marksman is about to hit the bullseye" he cheers making her giggle. 

"Dad stop, I gotta do it first" There’s a growing pink flush to her cheeks. A mix of pride and embarrassment Clint determines, miming zipping his lips watching allowing his daughter to stiffen into stance drawing the bow back. The arrow hits the board with a satisfying thump.

"That’s my girl!" Clint says beaming quickly closing the distance between the two of them. 

"It’s not a bullseye" 

"Still counts though" 

The girl nods watching her father retrieve the arrow from the board softening the raised edges from its entry, she fidgets nervously before straining to keep her voice disinterested   
"Do you think she’s forgotten?" 

Clint smiles saddens he knows exactly who’s she talking about. "Never, I'm sure she’s coming. She just needs to make sure it’s safe" 

"It was safe enough for Coopers birthday" the girl whispers. 

"The world changes Lila, what’s safe one day isn’t the next, the way she loves you that doesn't. I promise"

Of course, she'd remembered. Always did. The money had appeared in the bank account exactly a month before like always and the list of gifts she wanted to get for her adored niece arrived 3 days later. Like clockwork. Like they'd planned. She'd always made their birthdays so far but nothing in their line of work was guaranteed. So, Natasha had made arrangements that way they’d always have presents from her to open whether she was there or not. 

This year’s list had been short and practical but incredibly thoughtful, quintessentially Natasha. Leather gloves for archery practice over the coming winter, work boots in Natasha’s preferred brand, a silver necklace with a rich purple amethyst set in the pendant, and the video game Lila had been crazing Clint about for weeks. She’d remember the new hobby, the way she Lila got through boots driving her mother insane in the process and the secret meaning of the name Clint had chosen for his daughter. Oh, she’d remembered and if the world wasn't ending, she'd be here. It had been her promise since the very beginning and god help whoever stood in her way. 

And if she didn't come? The presents would have to make the short journey from under his bed to be waiting outside Lila’s room for tomorrow morning under the guise that Natasha had returned during the night but couldn't stay. 

Lila sighs looking to the target "I want to show her how good I’ve gotten" 

I want her to be proud of me. 

"She knows how good you are Lil'" 

"But I've got better" 

Clint looks his daughter up and down taking in the person she was becoming. Remembering the way every moment the two had shared had been treasured, Natasha watching with amazement as she grew in the shuttered snapshots she got to see of her precious niece.

"I know and we are all so proud of the woman your becoming. Me, your mom, Nat. So proud" he whispers pressing a kiss to her forehead, "You've got a few more arrows if you want to keep going. Waiting always goes quicker when you’ve got something to do"

Lila nods taking an arrow from her father’s hand. She takes longer to focus this time even once Clint is safely out of harm’s way. Breathing slowly, evening the weight though her legs before firing. There’s a sharp smack. Bullseye. 

"Amazing job hot shot! Perfect!" Clint says gaining a high-five.

"Just like Aunty Nat?"

"Just like Aunty Nat" 

....  
Bang.   
Bang.   
Bang.   
Bang.   
Bang. 

She shot at the target hitting the centre every time. Advancing like an animal about to strike, almost expecting the target to bleed. Half the universe drenched her ledger now what harm would one more do.

‘No’ She scolds herself ‘no more bloodshed. It didn’t heal you then it won’t heal you now’

She reloads, taking a deep cooling breath soothing the pain in her chest.

She had to get rid of this feeling. She had to do her job.

She looks at the target waiting to trigger FRIDAY into releasing a fresh one.

She had a job to do.

Protect and Avenge, and if there was nothing left to Avenge, she’d salvage what she could from the dust. 

“Again”   
....

"Again." Lila says confidently, " and if I hit the target again will you teach me a trick-shot, or let me use one of your special arrows?"

"Five times and I'm sure we can stretch to an exploding arrow for my birthday girl." Clint says with an easy smile "Just don’t tell your brothers though"

That earns him a hug, he pulls her closer rubbing her back slowly bow pressing into his own. "12 huh?! how'd you get so big Lil' I could have sworn you were in diapers last week"

"Eww, Dad!"

He snickers "Hey! let your old man have this before I blink, and you've got wrinkles." She huffs gently with her newfound pre-teen exasperation but relaxes against him, "I love you Lil. Now let me get that arrow out and then you can keep trying. It's serious now. There's an explode-arrow at stake!"

He hears her laugh releasing her turning back to watch her practice her stance before setting herself back reaching to tighten her ponytail bow balanced precariously between her feet. She might look like Laura, lucky thing, but she was definitely a Barton at heart. He smiles to himself, wondering what she would have made of the circus, he grabs the arrow and twists. 

"Dad" Lila calls with a mild curiosity pulling Clint out of his thoughts. "Dad!" The call is desperate this time and it catches in Clint's throat. The arrow loosens and Clint pulls hard turning quickly arrow ready to be thrown at the attacker, but there's no one. 

Just a bow and something floating in the wind.


End file.
